Special Topics in IS - Assessment - 2010 Cross-Campus Assignment Prof. Tim Shea (University of Massachusetts)

1. Team #2 – Alexandre Andre-Bettencourt, Doug Carvalho, Peter Farrell,
Patrick Fitzsimmons, Ahmed Darsot & Nkosingizwele Luhlanga

2. I. THE APPLE “ICAR” CONCEPT, AND
HOW IT FITS APPLE’S MISSION
STATEMENT
 Apple's iPod revolutionized the stagnant personal-music industry.
 We expect the iCar to revolutionize the faltering automobile industry.
 Apple has been slowly making a march into
the automotive industry in recent years, with
Apple iPod docks now a standard optional
extra in Mini and BMW cars.
 The new iCar will build on the success of the iPhone and iPod with a
simplified user interface.
 Hence, ‘fitting in’ with Apple’s mission statement:
 “Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and
reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is
committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators,
creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative
hardware, software and Internet offerings.”

3. II. FEATURES OF THE ICAR
 The world's first maintenance-free engine by being an electric car.
 Advanced safety features including:
 Lane-departure warning and back-up cameras;
 Adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection;
 Night vision, voice recognition and intelligent networks; and
 An electronic stability control feature which selectively applies
brakes to one or more wheels when the vehicle is about to slide
out of control.
 It will be less prone to crashes than traditional automobiles due to the above features.
 Environmentally sound by utilizing hybrid, biofuel or electric models.
 Enhanced multimedia features that are completely controlled by voice commands using
an on-board mapping system, Internet capability, cameras and censors.
 Thus, making the dashboard PC do all the hands-on work.
 Future features could include touch-screen steering, a single pedal to replace the
traditional accelerator and brake, and compatibility of “iCar” technology with other
competing brands.

4. III. BENEFITS OF THE
ICAR Synchronization with iPhone and iPad devices, with a direct link to
iTunes using the internal PC
 Hands-free Calling
 Safely check e-mail, news updates, switch music stations, etc.
 Turn-by-Turn Directions
 Car Internet System (e.g. Radio Service)
 Music Search
 Vehicle Diagnostics Report
 Personalized Daily Info
 Business Searches
 Traffic Alerts
 Audible Text Messages
 Multi-touch screen to play video, a web cam, 250 GB memory to
store files, facility to do a slideshow of the pictures, and many
more!

5. IV. ANTICIPATED MARKET (INITIAL +
1ST
FIVE YEARS)
 Available in three models:
 The two-passenger iCar Nano, priced at $39,995.
 The four-passenger iCar Pro, priced at $44,995.
 The convertible iCar Air priced at $49,995.
 A low-cost version, the iCar Shuffle, will be
introduced a year later with a single seat if the
three models above have success in the market.
 We figure the project will take off within the 1st
year of availability and
allow us to target the lower income brackets with the more affordable
iCar Shuffle, priced at $29,995.
 As such, we initially anticipate the iCar to reach a young, niche market
(i.e. LSM group 5-10) due to its high-tech capabilities, and hence its
resultant pricing.

6. V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 Apple has already been working with automakers, including VW, to make integrated iPod
hookups.
 Market experts estimate that a compact car upgraded
with Apple products would be of substantial interest to
young target groups, according to German financial
magazine Capital.
 There are several technological and marketable characteristics that Apple has in its favor.
 The iPhone proves that Apple technology could feasibly be applied to a wide range of
different devices.
 In theory, then, our Apple engineers could use their expertise to create a fully automated
driving machine (“iCar”), complete with dashboard computer capabilities.
 Lucky iCar owners could potentially control all of the operations of the car via a simple
touch screen.

7. CONCLUSION
 An iCar would undoubtedly have a profound
effect on the automobile industry.
 It has the possibility of creating a merging of
minds between consumer electronics and vehicle
manufacturers, taking the best technology from
each industry to provide a better user experience.
 If this idea were as successful as the iPod and
iPhone have been, there will most definitely be
an iLoan in store for many!

8. WORKS CITED
 Apple inc.. (2010). Retrieved from www.apple.com
 Apple Store. (2010). Retrieved from
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/holidayhome/lp2?afid=p219%7CGOUS&cid=OAS-US-KWG-LP2
 Life with SYNC. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.fordvehicles.com/technology/sync/?
searchid=426441|28125565|205373340&ef_id=kmZM2clEAAAARmY
%3A20101109222052%3As
 Kennedy, M. (2010, October 25). Google Unveils a Car That Drives Itself [Web log message].
Retrieved from http://www.techcareersblog.com/2010/10/google-unveils-car-that-drives-
itself.html
 Jones, B. (2007, August 30). Volkswagen and Apple discuss possible "iCar" project. Retrieved
from http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-08-29-volkswagen-apple-icar_N.htm
 Automall USA. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.automallusa.net/car-specifications.html